Why did God command us not to lie?

“The first lie detector was made from Adam’s rib, and it hasn’t been improved on since,” writes humorist James Hefley.

According to Heather, age 11, there’s a more accurate lie detector: “Your conscience will bother you. You think nobody knows, but God knows. So you shouldn’t lie.”

How do you know when your conscience is speaking? Nicole, 9, says, “When you tell the truth, you feel good about yourself. And when you lie, you don’t feel good.”

In “The Book of Virtues,” William Bennett writes: “Dishonesty fully respects neither oneself nor others. Honesty imbues lives with openness, reliability and candor; it expresses a disposition to live in the light.”

It’s no coincidence that the two most respected U.S. presidents were known for their honesty. By telling the truth about his hatchet job on his father’s cherished cherry tree, George Washington gained renown for his straightforwardness. Abraham Lincoln earned the nickname “Honest Abe.” These men have served as role models for millions of children and adults.

The problem with lying is that once you start, “it’s hard to stop,” says Aaron, 9. “If you lie one time, you usually have to lie again,” says Stephanie, 6. “You usually get into deeper trouble,” adds Carson, 7.

Lying often spreads trouble, says Emile, 8: “If you broke something, and you said your baby sister did it, you would get into some serious trouble.” I wonder if God has some kind of special grace for baby sisters. They seem to get blamed for every-thing.

Speaking of blame, Satan is called “the accuser” and “the father of lies.” Latan, 6, says, “The devil wants us to lie.” And if we lie, “we’ll be following the devil,” adds Salar, 8.

“Lying can cause great confusion among everyone,” says Meg, 11. “If we always lie, then everything will be in mayhem,” adds Paul, 11.

Confusion and mayhem accurately describe a world full of lies.

“God commanded us not to lie because everyone wants to hear the truth and not a lie,” says Sarah, 8.

Sarah, I know this may be difficult for you to understand, but some people don’t really want to hear the truth. The Apostle Paul wrote that some have suppressed the truth to the point where they “exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:18, 25).

The biggest suppression of truth occurred almost 2,000 years ago when a man who claimed to be “the way, the truth and the life” was nailed to a cross. Jesus validated his claim of being “the truth” when he rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples in a resurrected body.

Sometimes, we don’t want to face “the truth” because we are running from God. We don’t take responsibility for the lies we believe about ourselves, others and God. When we embrace the false, we compound our problems. Truth brings us into the light of reality and banishes the confusion created by lies.

“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25). God wants us to know the truth and to speak truthfully to others.

Point to ponder: Jesus Christ is God’s living truth.

Scripture to remember: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Question to consider: Will you allow the living light of God’s truth to invade your life?

“Kids Talk About God” is written and distributed by Carey Kinsolving. To access free, online “Kids Color Me Bible” books, “Mission Explorers” videos, a new children’s musical, and all columns in a Bible Lesson Archive, visit www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. To read journey-of-faith feature stories written by Carey Kinsolving, visit www.FaithProfiles.org.